Gareth: "To sum up my initial impressions : The core game is there and solid. Text adventures are golden, they give you a great sense of having a personal story, without it being linear. It's also really cool to see events from multiple angles. And the game is looking great, lots of rich details.

That being said, it's not ready for primetime yet. The game needs 'fluff', interactions and non-essential NPCs to talk to as you wander around and discover the setting. This lack of interaction makes the world feel empty, not because there aren't people but because you can't interact with them.

Also, even though the game isn't about holding your hand, if you wander outside the core interactions you quickly get lost, in terms of what you could or should be doing. A lot of this is due to that lack of fluff, which can be used to subtly nudge the player.

Overall, you can see the potential in the parts, but the whole experience still needs to 'come together'. And it's the more 'fluffy/subtle' elements that do this. Lots of work still to be done."

Originally Posted by human_male
I read they've been "polishing" it since 2007. From that I take it that it's more or less finished but they're testing and adding finishing touches… for four years.

So I wouldn't hold your breath.

Yeah thanks I like that they are paying attention to all the subtle (but important) details that a game like this needs, especially the combat. I remember seeing this game on a list of games expected to release in 2009. LOL I'm fine with delays but a rough estimate would be nice. Looks to me like its about a year out.

The game has also changed engines and undergone other not so small changes, so it's not like it's just polishing that's been going on.

I'm in in the beta and I think the feedback they're getting from testers will really improve the game. The groundwork is solid, roleplaying can be extremely satisfying. It's gonna be an awesome game once some of the kinks get worked out.